


Molti Corvi

by justawks



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-18 06:59:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1419042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justawks/pseuds/justawks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Second Giant War is over, Nico attempts to attend high school like a normal person. Things ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Begin

**Author's Note:**

> This is entirely viria's* fault, because I was scrolling through her Nico tag (as you do) and kept finding these wonderful pictures of Nico with an undercut and tattoos**, and so this happened. 
> 
> Written under the influence of tea and Lights' acoustic album. 
> 
> (Nico is a knife-thrower because of reasons, okay?)

“Mr. Jackson, Mr. di Angelo, right this way.”

The two boys (men, really, but most of the world wouldn’t see them that way for a least a few years more) stood. The former was wearing a bright blue t-shirt and freshly ironed jeans, his own version of the business-casual this meeting called for. His hair was dark and hopelessly messy, and his eyes were bright green and guileless. The latter was in tattered black jeans, a tattered black long sleeved t-shirt, and tattered black boots. His hair was messy and styled into an undercut, and he glowered without any real malice.

(Unbeknownst to anyone else, both had blades hidden on their person. The boy in blue had a disguised sword in his pocket, and the boy in black had a set of knives in a thigh holster. They were warriors, and they had learned to be prepared.)

The man who had called their names was short and wide. His cheeks were ruddy, and he wore a too tight charcoal suit. He pressed himself backwards through the door he had entered from, gesturing wildly with a hand for them to follow. Once they had stood from their seats, he turned and waddled quickly off. They hurried to follow, and he led them through a dark, carpeted hallway, making mindless chatter about that day’s weather, the baseball game tomorrow, his last visit to the doctors. 

They turned the corner and approached a large, oaken door. The golden plaque to the left read “Mr. Robert Carlson, Dean of Admissions” in looping cursive. The large man knocked shortly on the door - once, twice. “Mr. Carlson, your 10 o’clock is here.”

A voice came from inside. It was deep and gruff, and muffled by the heavy wooden door. “Let them in.” 

The gray-suited man opened the door with a flourish, then shuffled quickly off down the hallway, calling a jovial “good luck!” over his shoulder. The boy in blue held the door open with a hand, gesturing the other in before him. The boy in black stepped cautiously into the room, scanning for the places where the shadows were the deepest, the most complete. He fiddled with the heavy skull ring on his finger; he felt a hand on his shoulder, and resisted the urge to shiver.

The older boy was reaching past him, hand out in greeting. “Hi, Mr. Carlson. Percy Jackson, nice to meet you.”

Mr. Carlson gave Percy’s youthful face a doubtful look, but shook his offered hand anyways. “Robert Carlson. Nice to meet you as well.” He turned to the other boy. “And you must be Mr. di Angelo.” 

The boy in question nodded, eyes on the floor. The carpet was a disgusting greyish green, and it was making his stomach turn. 

The man cleared his throat. “Well, take a seat and we’ll get started.”

The two boys sat, Percy with his legs casually propped against the floor. The boy in black sat stiffly, nerves tumbling through his veins and convening in his gut. He snapped twice, a nervous tick he’d picked up in the last year. 

“My name is Robert Carlson, and I’m Dean of Admissions here at West Minister University Prep. Now, Mr...Percy Jackson, did you say?” He paused, long enough for Percy to nod. 

“You contacted me about enrolling your...cousin, Mr. Nico di Angelo, here. You do understand that a few weeks of the first semester have passed already, and he’ll have a lot of work to do to catch up, yes?” 

Percy nodded again. 

“In addition, his school records are spotty at best. It says here that he hasn’t attended a formal school for the last...five years. Can I ask why?” 

Percy paused. Nico cleared his throat. “Family issues,” he mumbled. Mr. Carlson, turned his gaze onto Nico. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” 

Nico cleared his throat again. “Family issues,” he said, louder this time. “My parents...died when I was pretty young, and my older sister was taking care of me. She, uh, passed away 5 years ago, and, um…” he trailed off.

Mr. Carlson nodded. “I see.” Nico doubted he did.

“Well, Mr. di Angelo, your placement test scores showed you are meeting standards in all areas, and I have faith you’ll do just fine - if, and it is a big if, you are admitted.” He turned, speaking to both of them. “We operate on a raffle system here. Once you complete the application process, which you can do after this meeting, your name will be entered into the drawing pool. We’ll contact you in a few days about the results. Keep in mind, we have about two hundred applicants and only five open places.”

Both boys nodded. The older man pressed a button to his left, and spoke into a small microphone. “Kyle, could you bring a copy of the application in here?” 

He leaned back in his chair. It gave the impression he was bracing himself, preparing for something big. “I have a few questions for you, Mr. di Angelo. Mr. Jackson, if you could go wait outside.” 

He gestured towards the door, but Percy hesitated. “Don’t worry, it’s just standard procedure, nothing malicious.” He smiled. “Kyle will bring you the application forms to fill out. You are Mr. di Angelo’s legal guardian, correct?”

“Yeah,” Percy said. He turned to Nico. “You’ll be alright?” Nico nodded. 

Percy stood, still looking wary. Nico tried to smile to assure him, but it pulled on his lips in an odd way. It felt like a pained grimace, and he dropped it almost as soon as it had formed. He turned to face Mr. Carlson.

“I just have a few questions about your interests, and I’d like to go over some policies we have here at West Minister. Does that seem alright?” 

Mr. Carlson’s tone was light, and faintly patronizing, as though he were speaking to a small child, or a frightened animal. Nico supposed he was a little of both. 

“First order of business: language classes. We have an exceptional foreign language program here at West Minister, and we offer more than twenty languages. We try to be competitive in this particular area, so students that already speak a different language are of...particular interest to us. Do you speak any languages?”

“I speak English,” Nico muttered. 

Mr. Carlson clicked his tongue. “No need to be nasty, Mr. di Angelo. Any languages other than English?”

“I know a little Italian,” Nico offered. “And I can read Greek.” 

Mr. Carlson hummed, scribbling on a small pad of paper. “Lovely. Well, assuming you are admitted, we’ll have you take placement tests in both Greek and Italian, bene?” 

Nico snorted. “Si.”

Mr. Carlson smiled. “Alright, so second order of business: physical education. We have a-”

“Let me guess,” Nico interrupted. “an ‘exceptional physical education program, with over twenty specialty classes offered’.” 

The older man’s smile turned sour. “What did I just say about your attitude, Mr. di Angelo? Acting like that isn’t helping your chances of being accepted here, I can promise you that.” 

Nico forced himself to look at his lap, to look at least a little apologetic. “Sorry,” he ground out. “Force of habit.”

Mr. Carlson nodded, as though he understood. “It’s fine for now, Mr. di Angelo. Just try to tone it down in the future.” There was a warning in his words, and Nico took notice.

“Back to our previous topic of discussion, it’s actually quite the opposite. We house students from a lot of the more...blue-blooded families in the Manhattan area, as well as raffle students like yourself. We’ve been a bit unfortunate in the last few years in terms of gaining students with athletic aptitudes. Do you play any sports, or participate in any activities you think we should know about? We do have a particular interest in students with athletic abilities.”

_Sword fighting,_ Nico said in his head. _Shadow traveling, and hand-to-hand, and knife throwing._

“No, sorry. Never really got around to playing any sports,” he said instead. 

Mr. Carlson nodded, as though he was expecting that answer. To be fair, he probably was. Nico had only just had his growth spurt, at age 16, and even then he barely came up to Percy’s ear. Unfortunately, he’d only grown vertically, and looked more waif-like than ever. 

“Now, Mr. di Angelo, I have a few more things I’d like to discuss with you. School policies mostly, that I think might apply to you.” 

He sat back in his chair, and it made Nico want to shift uncomfortably. He bit his tongue though, and willed himself to stay still. “Firstly, we don’t allow our student to wear any jewelry of a...particularly visible sort.” He gestured to Nico’s eyebrow ring, and the matching one in his lip. “Any visible jewelry of that sort will result in detention on the first offence, work-study hours on the second, and expulsion on the third. Is that clear?” 

Nico nodded. 

“Good. Secondly, we don’t allow any visible...body art here at West Minister.”

“You mean tattoos.” Although it was phrased like a question, it wasn’t one. 

“Yes, we don’t allow visible tattoos.” He glanced at Nico’s forearm, where a shrunken image of his Stygian Iron sword was just visible past the rolled sleeves of his shirt. “Any tattoos that can be reasonably covered should be. The punishments are the same as they are for extraneous jewelry. Any questions so far?”

Nico shook his head. 

“Alright, lastly, we have very strict policies towards alcohol and drug use here. The same goes for violence. One offence is enough for expulsion. Is that clear?” 

Nico nodded. 

“If that will be a problem, we have a team of excellent of counselors for our stu-”

“It won’t be a problem.”

Mr. Carlson sent him a look that made Nico’s blood boil, but he held it in. “Really, sir, that’s not going to be a problem for me. I promise.”

The man nodded. “Alright, Mr. di Angelo, but I’ll hold you to that.”

He stood, and gestured for Nico to the same. “You seem like a nice young man, and I think you could benefit a lot from attending West Minister. I’ll you speak to you in a few weeks, and hopefully it will be with good news.” 

Nico nodded, and shook the outstretched hand. “Thanks for meeting with me, sir. I,” he struggled to get it out ”really appreciate it.”

Mr. Carlson smiled, and it struck Nico how strongly like a snake he looked. “Not a problem. Have a good day, Mr. di Angelo.” 

“You too, Mr. Carlson.”

Percy was waiting in a chair when he made it back to the lobby. His hands were stained with ink, and the forms sat in a chair to his left. He looked up when Nico entered, and shot him a smile. 

“How’d it go?” Percy asked, standing as he spoke. 

“Fine,” Nico muttered. Percy handed the forms to the secretary, flashing her a smile and a wink. She fluttered her lashes, and Nico wanted to gag. Percy turned to face him again.

“Seriously though, Nico, how was it? Do you think he liked you, because I think this school could be really great for you, and-”

“It was fine, Percy.”

Nico was shuffling away before Percy could respond, heavy boots scuffing the gleaming office tiles. 

“You could at least say thank you,” Percy called from behind him. Nico pushed through the office door, stopping in the empty hallway on the other side. Classes were in session right now, and the school was eerily silent. He turned as Percy entered the hallway behind him.

“Yeah, thanks Perce. You’re sending me to a prison, you do realize that, right?” Nico bit out. 

Percy’s face shifted, and he stopped walking alongside Nico. 

“I know this isn’t ideal Nico, but it’s the only place that would take you this late. You’re the one that wanted to go to an actual school in the first place. You still want that, don’t you?”

Nico nodded sharply. “Yeah, it’s just-” 

“I think you can suffer through, Nico. You’ve been through a lot worse than this. You’ll still be in the city, so you can stop by my place whenever. I can talk to Annabeth about you stopping by her place too, if you want.”

“No need,” Nico said. “She said I’m welcome anytime.” 

Percy smiled. “Of course she did. And you are. Welcome anytime, I mean. That applies to both of our places, I guess, but it’s true.” 

Nico tried to smile (And he really did. He willed the corners of his mouth to turn, for the muscles in his cheeks to work as they were supposed to.) and it seemed for a moment that he would. But the faint wisp of a smile died before it really became anything, and he had to resist the urge to sigh heavily. “Thanks, Percy.”

Percy smiled, and Nico felt it in his gut. “No problem, Nico. Love you, little bro.” 

He ruffled Nico’s hair as he walked past him, whistling as he made his way to the front entrance. “Love you too,” Nico muttered, before shuffling off after his friend.


	2. Follow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I AM A FAILURE but seriously I'm sorry this took eighty years and it's not even done or edited but I promise I'll fix it someday ugh kms.
> 
> Hope it was fine?
> 
> Maybe you enjoyed it?

“First day of school. Are you nervous yet?”

Annabeth was practically vibrating, bouncing up and down on her toes. 

“I’m ecstatic,” Nico drawled. 

She stopped bouncing, smacking him on the shoulder. “Don’t sass me, di Angelo. This is your first real ‘teenage experience’. At least try to look excited.”

Nico sighed, and suppressed a smile. “Whatever you say, Anna.” She smacking him again (“That’s not my name, di Angelo.”) before pulling him in for a hug, whispering a “good luck” against his ear. 

“Hey, hey, no touchy.” 

Annabeth turned, narrowing her eyes. “You don’t own me, Jackson.”

Percy glared playfully, all soft smile and fond eyes. Nico wanted to throw up.

“Can we leave now?” he pleaded. “I’d rather not be late ‘cause you two were too busy making bedroom eyes at each other.”

Percy just blinked at him, while Annabeth shot Nico a glare. “We were not making bedroom eyes-”

“Actually, how about I just shadow travel there. I could find a nice dark corner, just slip inside, it’ll be great.”

Annabeth shook her head. “Oh no, Nico. You’re not escaping us that easily.” She wrapped a hand firmly around his upper arm. “C’mon boys. The cab should be here any minute.”

Nico blanched. “You called a cab? Anna…”

She smiled softly, shaking her head. “Yes, Nico, I called a cab. It’s getting colder and I don’t want to have to walk to the Subway. Besides, this is family bonding.”

Nico looked dubious. “Family bonding. In a cab.” 

Annabeth nodded. “Yes. We’re a family. In a cab. Together. Bonding.”

Nico shook his head, smiling ruefully. He caught Percy’s gaze over Anna’s shoulder, saw the mirth and the adoration in his eyes. Something warm and heavy settled in his chest. 

“Alright. Family cab it is.”

***

He was fine for most of the car ride. Annabeth and Percy laughed and chatted to his right, babbling on about that time Annabeth tried to visit Percy, but it turned into a cab-ride from the Fates and another death-defying quest. Their wide smiles and warm voices kept him sane for most of the way there, keeping his mind off of his impending doom.

As they drew closer to the school, however, he found his chest tightening. He bounced his knee, clutched at his forearm. He traced the familiar lines of his faithful blade through his stiffly starched shirt, and prayed to as many gods as he could think of that this day would pass without disaster.

He felt a warm hand on his arm. He turned, and found both Percy and Annabeth looking at him with soft eyes.

“It’ll be fine, dude.” Percy said. Annabeth nodded.

“Everything will be fine.” 

He sighed, and nodded, turning to look back out the window.

Before long they were making the final turn into West Minister’s driveway. Kids dressed in navy and gold and white, exactly like Nico, spilled out of cars and buses and goddamn limousines. No other cabs were in sight. 

The driver let them out with a tight smile and a gruff “$27.60”, which Percy handed over with minimal grumbling. They spilled gracelessly out of the cab, all three straightening their clothes before the turned and stared up at the massive brick building that would become Nico’s second home. Kids poured past them, chatting eagerly with their friends and classmates. No one paid them any mind. 

Nico squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

***

Although he’d been in Mr. Carlson’s office before, it felt infinitely different this time. This time he was an actual student. This time he had something to lose. 

Nico fidgeted in his seat, feeling with his fingers that the tattoo on his forearm was suitably covered. The three birds in the center of his shoulder blades seemed to burn, as did the portrait of his sister that sat on his upper right thigh. They were a part of him, something he’d put there and something he couldn’t change. Still, he realized with a jolt, he wanted to be here. He didn’t want something as trivial (and yet so, so far from trivial) as tattoos jeopardize that. 

He sat in the uncomfortable office chair, flanked by Percy and Annabeth, as Carlson’s eyes roamed over him. At long last, the older man looked up. Something akin to approval shone in his eyes. 

“You’ve done an excellent job of...cleaning up, Mr. Di Angelo. I applaud you.”

Nico looked down at his lap, tongue unconsciously licking over the unfilled hole in his lip. “Thanks.”

Mr. Carlson folded his hands on the desk. “Everything is in order. We have your class schedule all worked out, and you’ve been registered for a meal plan. If there are any issues, don’t hesitate to ask me or one of our wonderful counselors. Do you have any questions?”

Nico shook his head. Mr. Carlson turned to looked at Percy, then Annabeth. “How about you, Mr. Jackson? Or you, Ms…”

Annabeth smiled faintly. “Chase. Annabeth Chase.” She stuck her hand out over Nico’s shoulder. “Pleasure to meet you.” 

Mr. Carlson nodded, grasping her hand and shaking. “You as well.” He turned his gaze back to Nico. 

“Very well. You’ll have a student guide to give a quick tour of the school, and show you where all of your classes are. Are you ready for a tour?”

Nico nodded. “Yes, sir.” He hesitated. “Can they come?” he asked, gesturing to the two behind him. 

Mr. Carlson smiled warmly. “Of course.” He turned the the left, pressing on the phone until a woman’s voice cut through the static. 

“Yes, Mr. Carlson?” 

“Could you send him in, please?”

“No problem, Mr. Carlson.” There was a pause, then faintly in the background: “Go on in, hun.”

The static fizzled once again, and Mr. Carlson released the phone just as the door to his right swung open. 

The boy was young, couldn’t be much older than Nico. His brown hair sat in curled atop his head, framing a pale face with bright green eyes. His tie was loose, shirt untucked, and something glittered in his right ear. His gaze trailed over the people in the room, coming to rest on Nico. It made him feel warm, suffocated, but he was powerless except to watch as the boy’s gaze trailed hotly, slowly down his body. He shifted in his seat. 

Mr. Carlson sighed. “Nathan, what have I told you about our jewelry policy?”

The boy smiled sheepishly, but his eyes glimmered. “Sorry, dad.”

Percy raised his eyebrows, and Mr. Carlton’s face took on an expression of recognition. “Mr. Di Angelo, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Chase, this is my son, Nathan.”

Nathan’s face broke into a wide smile as he stuck out his hand. “Nate,” he offered. 

Nico shook it carefully. “Nico,” he whispered. Nathan’s smile grew impossible wider. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nico,” he purred. Nico nodded in response. 

Mr. Carlson cleared his throat. “Anyways,” he said brightly. “You’d best be getting on with the tour, Nathan. First hour starts at 9:20, and I’d hate for Nico to be late on his first day. Off you go.” 

Nathan waved them up with a hand. “Follow me, ya’ll.”

**Author's Note:**

> *viria.tumblr.com
> 
> **The neck/back tattoo Nico has is Viria's idea, and credit goes to her for the idea. I just molded it a little to fit this story. The image of the tattoo can be found here: http://viria.tumblr.com/image/65711982612. The other tattoos are my ideas. 
> 
> Also, many thanks to Goggle translate for the Italian translations. The French is all me, but If you notice anything wrong with my use of either language, let me know and I'll fix it up.
> 
> BTW, Percy is 19 and Nico is 16-17ish. At least by my understanding, that would make Percy eligible to be Nico's legal guardian, because he is no longer a minor. It's not Sally because I'm dumb and don't think logistics of my stories through, so sorry.


End file.
